Herbs in the Mountains
by FLandvik
Summary: Dyre, accompanying his sister Freda to the Hornburg to visit with her betrothed Steinthor, leaves behind the woman he loves and hopes to be with in Edoras. (Continuation from story originally published on facebook, Joscelin of Belegorn - please read there for backstory).


Chapter 1

I set the cloth down beside the basin, thankful for the cold water to wake me, but even more so that I had enough sense to keep my ale intake minimal with Stein last evening. The man was overjoyed at Freda being here, and I shook my head as he had even taken further ale to his chambers with him after I had bid him farewell. Remembering the instructions from the evening before, I found the dining area quite easily and was surprised to find my sister sitting alone as I entered.

"Good morning Freda, did you sleep well?" I asked as I sat down, reaching for some of the fruit that was set on the table but felt concern enter my body as I glanced her face, seeing the slight smudges under her eyes and the vacant look in her eyes. "What's wrong sister?"

"Nothing - just, it was a strange place to sleep, and so filled with memories," She replied softly, with a forced smile on her face. "How are the Healing Halls here? Were the supplies that we brought enough?"

"You are here to relax and get used to the lands here, not to work!" I chided her and was about to try to figure out what she had meant by her words when suddenly I was interrupted by Æbbe rushing towards us, her face brimming with excitement.

"Dyre! I thought you might be here, I thought I would stop here first, my mother said it would be alright and - oh! You must be the Hlæfdige Freda, it is so wonderful to meet you! " she smiled brightly as she looked towards Freda with a slight curtsy.

"Dear sister, let me introduce Æbbe. She helps in the Healing Halls here, " I laughed at the young girl's lust for life.

"It is wonderful to meet you Æbbe," Freda smiled with a sparkle returning to her eyes.

"Have you ever been to Minas Tirith? Joscelin was going to tell me stories about all the ladies today, and what they wear and all about the city."

"No, that is one place I have not been yet. Perhaps I should join you later for the stories," Freda laughed at Æbbe's infectious enthusiasm.

"Oh! You should! The other ladies would love to meet you. Let me tell you about everything," the girl stated as she started to recount the stories I had started to tell her night before, embellishing upon the outfits but I am sure that I had left out details that would have mattered to a young girl. I was grateful for the distraction, as I thought of how my sister looked last night as she ducked into her bedroom and the fact that Stein had not joined us to break his fast.

"I shall meet up with you both later," Freda stated as we finished our meal and Æbbe was eager to get to the Healing Halls as she stated Mærwynn would be wondering where she was. At the mention of the woman's name, my thoughts went to her as well.

"Are you sure?", I asked Freda, unsure if I wished to leave her alone right now.

"I am. After such a wonderful meal, I think I will take a walk through the city here to get familiar with it, but I shall find you after and hear your stories of Minas Tirith," She reassured us as she bid farewell to Æbbe and myself and left the room.

I chuckled softly to myself as Æbbe kept talking on the way to the Healing Hall, filling me in on different things in Hornburg and her mother and that I had to come and meet her mother, who I had found out made the very best hand pies here in Hornburg, not that Solveig's were bad but her mother knew just the right amount of sauce to put in them. As we entered the room, my eyes scanned the room briefly and settled on Mærwynn who frowned slightly as she noticed Æbbe by my side and then shook her head gently as Æbbe continued talking as she walked to the back of the room and grabbed a basket of linens to fold, only stopping long enough to greet the patients she passed along the way.

"She has been blessed with talking," Mærwynn stated softly at my side as we watched Æbbe sit down at the table and continue her tale with the elderly man drifting back to sleep as she spoke. "I think her mother is glad to have her help out in here for a few hours of silence a day."

"She reminds me of Lothíriel when she was that age," I laughed as I scanned the supplies being gathered on the back tables by the extra women who joined the halls this morning.

"Cwǣn Lothiriel?" she questioned. "You knew her as a child?"

"I grew up in the Halls of Healing in Minas Tirith, and Prince Imrahil would often be in the city and felt it important that his daughter learned the ways of healing - I think he hoped it would keep her out of the trouble she seemed to get into with her brothers."

A small smile formed on her face, but disappeared just as quickly as it formed. "If you'll excuse me, I have a couple of bandages to change before I start on the supplies. As you can see, we have some extra help to go through the items you brought. I am very - we are - very thankful for all the items," she stated quickly as colour rose in her face and she turned to attend the patients.

It was strange, I wanted to console this woman and ease her from whatever pain lived inside of her - but I hardly knew her. I was hopeful that during my time here I could get to know her better, and help ease her suffering. As I pulled down a basket from the top of the shelf, the sweet smell of spices surrounded me and my thoughts suddenly drifted to Raewen and a gnawing feeling of guilt settled deep in my stomach. With a deep breath, I forced my thoughts away from Raewen and set to work.


End file.
